Give Life
by Keleficent
Summary: What if Maui couldn't protect Moana from Te Kā?


Maui had tried to distract Te Kā, but she had her eyes on Moana, who was still trying to climb over the cliff. Te Kā was going to kill her.

The only thing that can stop the attack was Maui's hook, but it will be destroyed if he does so. Without his hook, he will be helpless against Te Kā.

It didn't matter. Moana was his friend; the only one he's ever had. He spent all those years doing good deeds to earn the mortals' love, but it was never enough. No matter how much adoration he received, he still felt lonely. Moana was the first person who made him ever feel…wanted.

And he wanted her. He wanted her friendship. He wanted what was best for her. He wanted her to live…even if he couldn't.

Te Kā hurled a fireball towards Moana. Maui jumped up and blocked the blast with his hook. He did it. He bought Moana time.

Or so he thought.

His hook shattered as he predicted it would. But Maui overestimated the strength his damaged hook had left for it failed to block the fireball completely. Maui could only watch in horror as the fireball headed straight for his young friend. "MOANA!"

The girl turned around and stared in wide-eyed fear at the inferno coming towards her. She jumped out of the way as it collided with the rock.

Maui heard Moana's blood-curdling scream. That was all the motivation he needed to dive into the water and swim toward the cliff. Thankfully, the blast created a huge dust cloud that will temporarily provide them cover. As he swam, he searched for any sign of Moana, but the thick dust cloud left by the blast made it impossible to find her.

Maui ran onto the shore and began his desperate search for his friend. "MOANA! MOANA, WHERE ARE YOU?"

The black fog cleared a little bit. Through the fog, Maui saw a motionless figure lying on the ground. "MOANA!"

He ran over to her and gently turned her over. He was horrified to see she was covered in burns. Some of the skin looked like it had been burned off. He would have thought she was dead if not for the cries of pain coming out of her mouth.

The dust cloud was starting to clear completely. Soon, Te Kā will be able to see them. They had to move. Maui tried to pick Moana up, but she weakly protested.

"No, Maui, please don't move me. It hurts."

Maui felt bad for causing her pain, but he couldn't leave her here. "I'm sorry, Moana, we need to go."

Moana cried harder when Maui scooped her up in his arms. He was going to try to hold her in one hand while using the other to climb back up the cliff.

"No, Maui, Te Fiti…Te Fiti's not there."

"What? Then, where is she?"

"There." Moana pointed toward the giant, imposing lava monster.

"Behind Te Kā?" Maui stretched out his neck trying to look past the monster.

"No…Te Fiti…is Te Kā."

Maui looked back at Te Kā. He realized what Moana was thinking. Te Kā had a spiral on her chest, just like the spiral where he stole the heart from.

"I…I've got to give…give Te Fiti her heart back." With a surprising amount of strength, Moana pushed herself out of Maui's arms. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough strength to stand on her own and would have fallen to the ground if Maui had not caught her.

"I'll do it."

"But, Maui…"

"I stole the heart. I'm the one who should return it." Maui gently laid Moana down and rested her head on a flat rock. He brushed her tangled hair off her face. She looked so small next to his large hand. "Just hold on, Moana. I'll fix this, I swear."

Maui turned to face Te Kā with grim determination. He held up the heart for her to see. She roared and prepared for another attack. "TE FITI!"

Te Kā eyes widened shocked at hearing her real name.

"I understand you're angry, and you have every right to be. But I'm the one to blame. I am the one who stole your heart. Do not punish this innocent girl." Maui glanced back at Moana resting on the rock. She looked worried. She was worried about him. She cared about him. That gave him the courage to move forward. "And do not punish the mortals. If you wish to bestow punishment, do so on me."

Te Kā appeared to be placated by Maui's apology, but still eyed him with suspicion.

"O…Ocean…" Moana's weak voice came from behind him. "Let…let her pass."

At Moana's behest, the ocean split apart to clear a path. Maui and Te Kā walked forward to meet in the middle. Maui climbed on a tall rock to level with Te Kā. He pulled out the heart.

"This was never mine to take. Forgive me." Maui set the heart in Te Kā's chest. Green plants and colorful flowers sprouted over her black, molten skin that spread across the entire island. Te Kā's rough, distorted face changed into the beautiful, kind face of the goddess, Te Fiti.

"Well, you're, uh, looking like your old self again. Just like you did before I, uh, well, you know what I did." Maui laughed nervously. Te Fiti gave him an annoyed look. But then it gave way to a soft smile. She held out her hand to reveal Maui's hook now intact. Maui could only squee in delight he turned to ask Moana if he can accept it only to remember she wasn't by his side. She was still on shore.

"Moana…" Maui grabbed his hook to turn into a hawk and flew over to where his friend lay now in a patch of grass and flowers. He landed next to her and turned back to his human form.

"Moana, I did it! I returned the heart!" Moana didn't respond. She didn't even open her eyes. "Okay, okay, _we_ returned the heart."

Maui waited for Moana to say something, but she stayed quiet. "Come on, Moana, I came back. Are you really going to give me the silent treatment?"

But Moana still didn't say anything. Maui's smile faltered. Something was wrong. "Moana?"

Maui examined her wounds again. They looked bad, but it was just a few burns, right? He scooped up some ocean water in his hand and poured it over her skin. That should cool her down, right? She'll be okay, right? "Moana, wake up, please. Moana…"

But Moana didn't move, didn't speak, gave no signs of life. As a demi-god, Maui hasn't truly faced death. Especially not the death of someone he cared about.

"Moana, no…please…Moana…" Maui picked up her body. She was completely limp in his arms. He hugged her close to him and pressed his face against hers. Drops of water were landing on her face, and Maui realized it was his own tears.

Maui heard a large rumbling as Te Fiti approached him. He looked up and saw Te Fiti looking at him with a sympathetic expression. "This is all my fault. If I didn't steal the heart in the first place, Moana would be…"

Maui's words caught in his throat. Te Fiti carefully put her hand under Moana's body and took her from Maui. He didn't protest. Much to his surprise, Te Fiti grabbed onto her heart and plucked it out of her chest. She extended it to Maui. "I…I don't understand."

Te Fiti dropped her heart into his palm and pulled his hand so that it was directly above Moana's heart.

"The heart…the heart…gives life." Maui hardly dared to hope, but he was willing to try anything that could bring back his friend. He lowered the heart so that it touched Moana's body.

A small green glow formed over Moana's heart. Then, like waves in the ocean, the glow rippled across her body, healing her wounds as it did so.

The glow retracted back towards her heart like a tide going back out into the ocean. Maui watched Moana's face apprehensively. "Moana?"

Slowly but surely, Moana's eyes opened. "M…Maui?"

Maui breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Heh, I knew it. You're too stubborn to die."

Moana looked up at the person holding her in her hand. "Te Fiti?"

Te Fiti nodded her head. Moana looked back at Maui. "Maui, you did it. You saved the world. You save me. Thank you."

"No, no, no…you…I need to say…I thought you were…I really appreciate…Moana…"

"That's Moana of Motunui." He gave Moana a perplexed look. "Sorry to interrupt you're doing great." He chuckled when he realized Moana was making a joke alluding to when they first met. "And you're welcome, Maui."


End file.
